Postgraduate handbook 2005 - Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Master of Psychology (Health)

Course code: 3502

Course description

This course aims to provide training across the continuum that defines health psychology, including the promotion and maintenance of physical and mental health; the prevention and treatment of illness; the identification of the causes and correlates of health, illness and related dysfunction; improvement of the health care system; and health policy formation.
The course prepares graduates to practise as health psychologists in a range of settings including hospitals and clinics, community health centres, disability services, alcohol and drug agencies, workers compensation systems, rehabilitation agencies, health education organisations, cancer councils, schools and private practice.

Entry requirements

Applicants must have completed four years of an Australian Psychological Society-accredited course in psychology. As the Master of Psychology (Health) utilises the scientist-practitioner model, selection for the course will be rigorous, with the goal of selecting highly motivated top-class students. The same standards of academic excellence which apply to acceptance for research masters study will be applied to this program. Students should possess a minimum of an upper second class honours degree or a distinction grade in a postgraduate diploma in psychology or equivalent. Suitability to the role of a professional working in the public arena will be assessed by referees' reports, and interview (if necessary).
Students must be registered as a probationary psychologist at beginning of the course to qualify for legal registration as a psychologist in Victoria at the completion of the program.

Special requirements

The off-campus learning method of delivery will require access to a personal computer (ideally a Pentium 111), with a minimum memory capacity of 32 MB RAM and a CD-ROM drive to complete assignments and conduct analyses necessary for a research thesis. The student must also have access to the internet.

Course structure

The course is offered part-time over four years by off-campus learning and has three components:

• Residential school attendance and coursework
• Research thesis
• Supervised placements

Coursework

• MHP5011 Introduction to health psychology
• MHP5032 Health promotion
• MHP5051 Clinical health psychology
• MHP5052 Counselling and professional practice 1
• MHP5082 Counselling and professional practice 2
• MHP5062 Advanced health promotion
• MHP5071 Advanced clinical health psychology
• MHP5072 Psychological assessment
• MHP5081 Multivariate statistics
• MHP5093 Research thesis

The thesis will be expected to provide a significant contribution to knowledge and/or practice in the field of health psychology and to demonstrate the capacity of the student to carry out independent research. The thesis takes the form of a literature review (4000-5000 words) and a research article (5000-7000 words).

Supervised placements

Three placements in a range of clinical and health promotion settings will be undertaken under the supervision of appropriately qualified psychologists. These placements will generally be completed within the semester teaching period and the timing will be as follows:

• MHP5102 Placement I (42 days/335 hours), year 2, semester 2
• MHP5112 Placement II (42 days/335 hours), year 3, semester 2
• MHP5122 Placement III (42 days/335 hours), year 4, semester 1

Inquiries

Administrative Officer
Postgraduate Studies
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine
Monash University, Victoria 3800
Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9903 1482
Email: mpsychhealth.enquiries@med.monash.edu.au
Website: http://www.med.monash.edu.au/psych/

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